The Naturalization Process

Well, for those of you that don't know, I started the process to become a US citizen about a month and a half ago.  I decided to take the leap and make this permanent, and well I wanted to be able to officially take my husband's name.  

This process includes a hefty sum of money, a ridiculously long application, and the patience of a saint.  The application is really quite long, about 15 pages, and actually asks questions like "Have you ever been a habitual drunkard".  I am not sure how many people actually say "yes" to that, but I guess there have been a few.  The application took a long to time to complete, but now that I have finished that I am at the mercy of the government.  I occasionally get these very "official" looking letters in the mail from the department of homeland security, they are printed on high-tech watermarked paper.  My first letter simply said that my application had been received and that not to contact them unless I hadn't heard anything within the next 365 days.  What- 365 days, yup only after a year of not hearing anything would they answer any of my questions.  I guess I will count myself lucky because I received my first follow-up letter about 2 1/2 weeks after the first one.  I was told to show up for finger prints on 09-11-08  at 8am at some obscure building off of 436.  If you don't show for that appointment they drop your application and you don't get your money back.  So, I scheduled off from work and left the house 1 1/2 hours before my appointment, just in case.  I was in and out of there in less than 1/2 an hour, I guess that is what happens when you are first in line and have been waiting for over an hour.

I do find it interesting that I had my first official appointment on 09-11, if that is not irony I am not sure what is.  I will be sure to keep you posted on this interesting experience.  Jamie and I will invite you all to the party when it's official (my name change and the citizenship thing) the menu will have to be hamburgers and apple pie, you know, American food :)